The GetAbout Columbia schemes seem to come in waves. The latest “experiment” in the otherwise laudable and ambitious $22 million project is destined to become an object of community derision.
GetAbout has proposed re-striping Ash Street between Seventh and Ninth streets so drivers can back their vehicles into the parking spaces and hopefully reduce their chances of “dooring,” the term for accidents caused by drivers who park parallel with the street and open their doors in front of cyclists. From the standpoint of safety to cyclists averse to somersaulting over their handlebars, maybe it’s worth trying – again.
Ninety years ago, backing in was the practice on a number of downtown streets.
